This review is for:  Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Reporting (Paperback)

Full Disclosure:  I was provided a no-charge paperback edition for the purpose of this review by the publisher, Packt.

What piqued my interest in the first place was actually the fact that Errol Schoenfish, a monument in the Microsoft Dynamics community, wrote the foreword.  And of course, Errol made a few great points, the most salient of which is that raw data is “useless” unless it can be analyzed and turned into meaningful reports on the health of a business through trend analyses and key performance indicators (KPIs). 

 This book addresses the fundamental question of how to turn raw data into meaningful metrics using the reporting tools available in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.  And it addresses that question in great detail, in a highly organized framework, replete with numerous, incredibly useful screenshots.  It starts with the basics of “Meeting the Reporting Challenge” and “Where Is My Data and How Do I Get to It?” And it takes you all the way through the design and execution of sophisticated reports using the various tools available in Dynamics GP 2010, such as SmartList Builder (SLB), Excel Report Builder (ERB), Report Writer (RW), SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Analysis Cubes (AC), and Management Reporter (MR).  

What’s more, the Appendix at the end of the book compares those tools and outlines the features and functions of each.  The Appendix serves as a quick, high level reference guide. 

Kudos to the authors for a tremendous effort and a valuable resource for skilled end users and Dynamics GP professionals alike. 

Submitted by Altico Advisors, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner for Manufacturing and Distribution serving New Hampshire (NH) – Please follow us on LinkedIn

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Reporting – Book Review is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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For those who haven’t heard about SQL Server Reporting Services yet, I presume they’ve been asking what does SQL Reporting Services do and how does it differ from other report writing tools? To begin with, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is a server-based report generation software system from Microsoft. It is administered via a web interface. Reporting services features a web services interface to support the development of custom reporting applications. Reporting is a way of presenting data and information. With reporting, managers should be supported in making efficient decisions as quickly as possible. There are lots of reporting tools available on the market and every customer has a possibility of finding a solution that suits their needs. Of course,  every comparison depends on the point the customer’s perspective.

SSRS competes with Crystal Reports and other business intelligence tools. But why is SSRS  better than the others? The first strength of Reporting Services is that it is a Microsoft brand supported by world fame and generally-known trustworthiness. Microsoft praised and demonstrated SSRS readiness for immediate use. Microsoft Reporting Services is enough to replace two separate concretely-aimed solutions. Firstly, as a standalone reporting server, therefore working as an independent solution; and secondly, as a tool to integrate reporting into a parallel .Net application. Being bundled with the MS SQL Server, Reporting Services has had to grab the attention of Visual Studio .NET users. It’s a solution known for its features – providing  richly enough for a majority of basic uses.

Reporting Services is praised especially for its independence and its report design environment. As a standalone reporting server, it is also followed by a low price as Microsoft’s product seems to be significantly cheaper than its equivalents; Reporting Services might actually be implemented for free.  Crystal Reports were accused of too complex licensing, too big footprint, poor SQL performance, and, finally, being too static. There is a long list of capabilities that Crystal Reports claims to support but which either don’t work or which require a staggeringly expensive license if you want more than five users. You can’t even trust CR to do SQL correctly. Reporting Services actually does all the things CR claims to, it’s free, there is extensive reliable technical documentation, it’s designed to be extended (also documented), and you can connect it to anything for which you can get an ODBC driver.  It is a better environment, but best of all the connections (data sources) are separate from the report and can be shared. This makes for much simpler deployment between environments.

Article written by Jennifer Alegria, Associate Consultant – ERT Group

If you are interested in a more in depth analysis of your needs, contact us at 954-825-0888, and visit us on the ERT Group website.

We are a Florida Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, a 2010 President’s Club member for Microsoft Dynamics – offering Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM.

SQL Server Reporting Services Versus Crystal Reports is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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• What departments within your company need to work together? SSRS Server Reports is a server-based reporting platform that provides comprehensive data reporting from relational and multidimensional data sources. Reporting Services includes processing components, a complete set of tools that you can use to create and manage reports, and an application programming interface (API) that allows developers to integrate or extend data and report processing in custom applications.
• What time of day, week, and month do you need insight? You can create reports that retrieve data at scheduled intervals or on-demand when the user opens a report
• Who needs access to your reports? Reporting Services is a server-based solution, and thus provides a way to centralize report storage and management, provide secure access to reports, models, and folders, control how reports are processed and distributed, and standardize how reports are used in your business.

There are great blogs out there showing you the technical know-how of setting up SSRS Server Reports, but I hope this blog has helped you realize and implement the first step in setting up reports that fit your business needs. With any new solution, full analysis of your current processes helps you realize what you need and supports your growth into the future.

We are a Chicago IL Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and Microsoft Inner Circle member serving the Midwest specializing in the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Follow us on Twitter at @Sikich_Tech.

By Sikich, St. Louis Microsoft Dynamics GP partner

Developing SSRS Server Reports within Microsoft Dynamics GP to Fit your Needs is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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As a Microsoft Dynamics GP partner, I work with many customers like you that have questions on a daily basis. I admit that some questions catch me off guard and I need to do some research to find the answer, especially for a new product launch. But today, I would like to share my findings for two frequently asked questions about the integration of SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) with Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010:

Q: Which reports are available in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010?

A: In Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010, more than 60 reports and 13 report models are built on SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services technology. SSRS reports pull data from Microsoft Dynamics GP. These reports are visible within the report list if the appropriate setup is completed.
To help make setup easier, reports are automatically associated with report roles that are created during the installation; including field service, financial, human resources, inventory, manufacturing, payroll, project, purchasing, and sales

Q: What are the Charts and KPIs that you can deploy from the SQL Server Reporting Services Wizard for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010?

A: The Charts and KPIs that can be deployed are used to populate the Metrics section of the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 home page. You can enable these by clicking to select the Enable SQL Server Reporting Services Home Page Metrics box in the Reporting Tools Setup window.
To specify what reports to display on a users home page click Customize this page, then click the clue expansion button next to Metrics. Move the metrics that you want to the Metrics to display column, and then click OK.
The Charts and KPIs can also be displayed on the Executive Dashboard in Business Portal for Dynamics GP 2010.

Remember that all questions are good questions as it will ultimately help you get the most out of your solution. We here at Computeration encourage all inquiries and strive to make Microsoft Dynamics products, such as Microsoft Dynamics GP, work the best for your business. Contact us today with your good questions!

Specializing in ways to enhance your company’s solutions with Microsoft Dynamics GP in Idaho and the Pacific Northwest, with clients around the world, Computeration makes your implementation successful by offering experienced project management, data integration, training, and consulting services.

By Gloria Braunschweig with Computeration, a Portland Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

FAQ: Integration of SQL Server Reporting Services with Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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 But if you have some fairly advanced reporting needs including some complex grouping, sub-totaling, specific formatting and other “beyond-the-basics” needs, then you are really looking at two alternatives: Crystal Reports and SQL Reporting Services (SSRS).

Crystal Reports has been the king of the reporting hill for some time.  It offers the most powerful features of any report writer.  Having been an avid user of Crystal for many years (and a former Crystal Partner and Trainer), I feel it still represents the ultimate in reporting flexibility and power.

But Microsoft’s SQL Server Reporting Services has been gaining on Crystal Reports in many ways over the past few years.  It comes with the Microsoft SQL Server database so you do not have to pay any extra (unless you need extra SQL licenses for your report development users).  Being a Microsoft solution, it is the direction that Microsoft is heading for all its business application needs, as they have already incorporated it into the Dynamics GP product.  And that trend will continue to accelerate.  We are seeing much more interest and commitment to the SSRS reporting environment from many of our customers, across a variety of business applications.  And even this grizzled old Crystal guy has begun to like many of the aspects of the SSRS report designer tool.  We find that we are developing as many custom reports in SSRS as we do Crystal.

Although SSRS still trails Crystal from a technical capability comparison, I feel it is time for all companies and users with serious reporting needs to commit to learning SSRS.  Although its report design environment is actually Visual Studio which can be intimidating to some, it is not that difficult to learn.  An additional plus for SSRS is that as part of SQL Server you get a web-based Report Manager admin tool that can maintain report executions and delivery. 

 So I say it’s time to bite the bullet, take a deep breath, and dive into SSRS.  You might even like it! 

And if you are in the process of evaluating ERP solutions and taking a close look at Microsoft Dynamics GP, you should rest assured that you will have some very powerful reporting tools available.

In future posts I will talk a little more about the approach to take when designing a new report and some of the features to be aware of when creating an SSRS report within Dynamics GP.

Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have: Rick Feterick, Feterick & Associates, Inc  847-795-8200 x74 or rfeterick@feterick.com.

Submitted by Feterick & Associates, Inc –Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner in Indiana.

Crystal Reports vs SQL Server Reporting Services: Clash of the Microsoft Dynamics GP Reporting Titans is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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